Is it the stoneware baker? I have their stoneware pizza stone and I hate it. It makes a very tough not crisp crust on a pizza and is impossible, not difficult, impossible to clean. I tried it with biscuits too and they were hard on the bottom and the butter in them went into the stone and stained it further.

You have the 9x13? It's not the lid to it right? the deep one... it's the standard 1 1/2" deep. Yes?

I use my stoneware for everything!!!! I have the 9x13 Baker and it's lid (I never use it though.) I have 2 large bar pans (jelly roll size). 2 Pie plates, the small round baker with the lid, and the large round baker with the lid and the bundt pan and the large 15" pizza stone.

In the 9x13 I bake two chickens, bake cakes and brownies and casseroles.

terri, do you find that baked goods burn or get hard on the crust? I wish I knew what I did wrong with mine. The butter or oil that got into the stone makes it smell funny when it gets hot so sometimes the food takes on that kind of rancid butter taste.

It was darn expensive and I had such high hopes for it.

Ok, everyone, stop before you do anything to your Pampered Chef stoneware!!

First of all, the first few times you bake with it, you need to bake something with a high fat content, to season the stoneware. The more it is used, the darker it will become. Try not to be put off by that... it only means that it is seasoned and well used.

If you bake something like Pillsbury Crescent Rolls, they will help to season the stone. There's a great, easy, recipe that uses the 13" round stone, and the metal "rack" that you use with the stone. The recipe is called Taco Ring:

Taco Ring

1 lb. Ground beef
1 package Taco seasoning mix
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 packages Pillsbury Crescent rolls
Toppings (choose any you like):
Salsa
Avocado
Sour Cream
Shredded Lettuce

Preheat oven to 375º. Grate the cheese.

Cook the meat, and drain off the grease. Stir in the package of taco seasoning mix (dry). Add 2 tablespoons water. Stir thoroughly. Add the grated cheese. Stir to mix in the cheese.

Turn the metal rack upside down, and place the baking stone on top.

Arrange the crescent roll triangles around the baking stone, so the points hang off the edges. Leave a circular open area in the middle, approximately 5 inches in diameter.

Scoop the meat mixture onto the rolls. Fold the points of the triangles over the meat, and tuck the points under the base. NOTE: Not all of the meat will be covered. Some of it is supposed to show.

Carefully pick up the stone, turn the rack over, then place the stone into the rack. Using the handles of the rack, put the stone and rack into the preheated oven.

Bake 22 minutes, until golden brown. Remove the stone and rack from the oven, using hot pads to hold the handles of the rack.

Slice and serve with the toppings you like.

~*~*~*~*~*~

DO NOT USE ANYTHING BUT HOT/WARM WATER TO CLEAN PAMPERED CHEF STONEWARE!! If you use soap on the stoneware, it will be absorbed into the stone, and then any food cooked on it will taste like soap.

All of the stoneware pieces come with a small "scraper" that you use to scrape the food off of it. Just run hot water over the stone while you're scraping it with the little scraper thing. If the stone still feels a little "greasy," -- IT'S SUPPOSED TO! That's the seasoning, that will help keep food from sticking to it when it's used the next time.

You can also use a light spraying of the nonstick spray-on stuff, like "PAM," but don't overdo it. Just a light spray.

If you're unsure of how to use your Pampered Chef stoneware, go to a Pampered Chef party (or host one at your house). Stuff is always prepared at the parties, using the products. If you're hosting, you can always tell the consultant that you want her to make something using the stoneware.

No, I don't sell Pampered Chef. But I own sooooo much of the stuff, and love it. Hubs loves it, too. It's one thing I can buy more of and he doesn't complain. :-)

Unlike lindsey_ca, I did sell it once upon a time! I absolutely love it and use it almost every day! Her instructions are very through, could not have been more so....

and yes, expensive...but, nothing bakes homemade southern biscuits as well as a seasoned stone...mine look terrible...but bake beautifully! Ovens vary...check your oven temperature if things are overdone and remember whatever it looks like on the top, that's how it is on the bottom....don't just use a recipe, use your eyes and nose too. :>)

Thanks ladies.
I knew not to put it in soapy water, and I don't. So the idea is to make greasy items in it. Maybe my scalloped potatoes isn't what I should be be baking in it right now.

I'll have to get used to reaching for my deep dish baker (yep Terri, I've got the same as you) instead of my regular roasting pan for meats and just use it more often.

I wasn't sure what I should be cooking in it.

Go ahead and make your scalloped potatoes in it, just grease it first! I still grease mine, even though they are "seasoned". Just habit, I guess, but it doesn't hurt it. I even have some small PC stones in the Motor Home, but I can't use very big ones, as my oven is a combination grill, microwave and oven in one. I love them. In fact, I will be using my newest cranberry glazed one for augratin potaotes this afternoon, and will spray it before I use it.

Use you stones for anything you would normally use that size pan for. Just be sure to grease it first until it gets well seasoned.

Tami

I'll add another tip. Never try to add liquid to any stonewear in the oven. I have cracked 2 of them. The second one I added hot water.

jas, can't add anything more than already added. I don't like using Pam, because it will leave a sticky residue after repeated use. Use a good schmear of butter. And definately roasting a few small chickens. Turn them opposite directions, will give you some good "grease" factor to work into the season. :o)

check the item you are baking (not roasting) about 8 or so minutes before you normally would and then gage from there the "doneness". The corners will crisp up a bit more on brownies and cakes unless you get it "just in time".

When I had a stroke in 2001 and was hospitalized for a month, my MIL moved into my house to take care of DH (her son) and our kids. She threw out all my seasoned brown- stained cookware, including all my baking dishes and my Pampered Chef items. She bought me a set of cheap aluminum stuff as a replacement. We liked the PC pizza stone.

Thanks so much for ALL your advice! I honestly didn't know I could pre-season it. I will use butter next time I make my scalloped potatoes. It's still a mess even though I soaked it overnite.
sigh..
My mouth is watering thinking of cooking a roast in it. I'm going to do that this weekend.

BTW, How high a temperature can I cook with it? Can I roast veggies? They usually roast around 400 degrees though.
ALSO, I didn't know about adding liquid while it's in the oven!
My scalloped potatoes tend to get dry, so I add more milk while it's still cooking. Maybe I shouldn't do that!

Sherry

I had the rectangular stoneware baker and used it for everything until it broke in 3 pieces in the oven. I just had meat in it and just heard a big crack.I had it for about 5 years but was hoping it would last a lifetime. Anyone else have that happen ?

Sherry, I have gone as high as 450F, but usually I roast veggies at 425F. 400F works too, takes a bit longer but works.
Just oil them well with EVOO..and you should be fine.

Clairdo, yes I've had them break for no apparent reason. I've also had my kid knock a big bar pan off the counter and watched it "crack"!

Some of my stoneware is more than 10 years old. Actually most of it.

Oh Jannie...that is awful! My MIL thinks she needs to throw my things away too. I keep telling her, "don't touch my things". She still does it. She threw out my sister's Sunday paper because "she" had read it, however my sister hadn't. She had to go to 5 stores to find another one at 8:00 on a Sunday night. Hard to find. You'd think she would learn.

Terri, Thanks for your help again! I usually roast my veggies at 425 but wanted to be safe using the stoneware, which is why I suggested 400. Good to know!!!
I'll definitely put lots of EVOO on the veggies, but will use this roaster next time.

I'm so glad I asked all of you!!

While we are on the subject of Pampered Chef, I have a question. I have a brand new pizza stone. The only place I have to store it is in my oven. Before I got a chance to use it the first time, the mice beat me to it. How do I sanitize it? I know not to put it into soapy water, so whats left? Vique.

Vique..two suggestions..actually three...
1 take it out and rinse with the hottest water you can stand. Then put it in the oven after it's dry and "bake" it..put it on a shelf and heat it in a 400F oven for an hour or so..

lastly...my newest "sanitizing"..a spritz of white vinegar and then a spritz of hydrogen peroxide...spread it around with a paper towel..then rinse in hot water, then do the baking thing.

Here is a link that might be useful: Safe germ busting

Terri, how can I thank you? I can give you my first born, but I must warn you, he comes with a wife and three kids. Vique.

Vicki, how funny about our twin MILs. Mine came in one day and threw out everything on my side table, including a little decorated basket ny daughter had made me. I was so upset. She thinks she's helping. Like the time she took the tablecloth off the table and shook all the crumbs into the bathtub. HUH?

I just have to add.. I learned this from an italian..if you ever want to use your stone for the perfect homemade pizza crust.. you heat up your stone in a 500 degree oven for 1 hour before putting the crust on it.

Vique....um no thank you!!!!!! LOL My oldest is 16..How about you take him?

I make homemade pizza every Friday night..except lastnight it was moved to tonight..
I don't preheat my stones. But I do par bake the crust part way before adding the toppings. The oven goes at 450F.

I do bacon in my bar stone. 425° for about 15-20 minutes. No need for turning, no grease splatter! Yummy!

Tami

I have 2 pizza stones that I got many years ago, one big and one smaller size. We use the big one every Friday night for pizza and I always put it in a cold oven then preheat before putting on the pizza. The smaller one I use to bake homemade round loves of bread.
Clare

Tami,,How do you make your bacon? bar stone, no splatering. That sounds like something worth learning more about. I don't like making bacon. It's so messy.

Toni, not Tami, but I too "roast" bacon in the bar pan. Just lay it out on the pan, put in the oven and turn it on..I don't preheat...so it takes a bit longer...400, 425F depends on how quickly you want it to be ready.
The only "mess" is pouring out the cooled bacon grease into my "saver" or scraping it out once solid, then wiping well with a papertowl then soaking in hot water.

Yep, that's how I do it! I don't turn it, just let it cook. Be sure you use a stone that has sides on it! Mostly I use the bar stone, but I have used the 9 x 13 or what ever size that one is, when I've had more bacon than room, and wanted it done all at once, instead of spending an hour making bacon. I usually don't save my bacon grease. If it's not a lot, I'll soak up as much as I can with paper towels. I can usually get all of it with them. Then just hot water and a scraper to clean it. I do a lot of bacon in the summer and put it in zip locks in the freezer for camping. I cook it done, but not as crisp as we like it, then warm it in a pan at camp. Works great! It also is a great way to season your stones, as long as they have sides. Never do it on a pizza stone or the flat rectangular stone. The grease will run off into your oven. For those, make refrigerator bisquits, or be sure you grease them before you use them. Either works.

By the way, DS went to the local vocational school for baking and pastry. They used commercial baking pans there, but he is collecting the stones (mostly Christmas gifts!) because he likes them better.

Tami